Black Panther Star Leads STEAM Activity With i.am Angel Students

On April 20th, i.am College Track students were visited by Winston Duke, actor in Marvel’s hit movies “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War”.  Duke didn’t host an acting workshop; instead, he encouraged students to pursue STEAM as our students built and programmed electronic musical instruments.

35 students from i.am College Boyle Heights and Watts attended the workshop at our center in Boyle Heights.  There, they used design thinking and a range of materials- including cardboard, foil and foam tiles- to build a guitar, drums and a keyboard.  Students then used the programming language Scratch and Makey-Makey to program the capabilities of their instruments.

“The event was extremely successful as students were able to merge art and technology to create instruments. The skills they gained, critical thinking, design thinking, coding, etc. are transferable to a host of subjects and experiences,” said Andrea Morris, Student Life Director of i.am College Track Boyle Heights.

“Students were able to share their designs and knowledge of coding with Winston Duke and solicit support from Winston as well as other staff to create their final projects.”

We know it’s important to offer events that inspire our students.  By motivating students’ intrinsic creativity, students don’t just gain knowledge- they gain the inspiration needed to pursue a lifelong career in STEAM.